/7 handle bar switches on a /6

Would there be any real problems with using /7 handlebar switch gear on a /6? Admittedly I am not good with electrical stuff on these bikes so any information or advise would be helpful. I have a 1975 R 60/6 with a bad right side handlebar starter switch which are a little difficult to find. There are other little electrical gremlins hiding away in the bike as will but mostly in the "Rats Nest" stuffed inside the headlight bucket. I'm considering a new main harness and using a set of new /7 switches on the bike in order to keep it clean and less likely to go up in flames.

Give me the good, not so good and the you might regret trying it of this operation.

It depends

The answer depends on a bunch of things. First I will say "yes" you can switch switch gear however I am assuming first, you don't have the early /6 round style switch gear your bike being a 75. That said, as long as you have wiring diagrams, and a very good sense of how circuits work in the system. You should be good to go. BMW made changes over the years but for the most part, wire color and such remained the same.

So for example, on your bike, on the right side, you most likely have the kill switch, starter button and turn signals switch, am I correct? If so, on the newer switch gear for example on my 84 RT, the switch was moved to the left side. The wiring colors and I believe the circuit is the same. I won't bet on it because I don't have wiring diagrams in front of me to prove it but I think you get the point I am making?

As for the rat's nest in the headlight, it is not so bad to work on other than in my case problems with my big hands and poor vision. Everything in there is color coded and if it has not been tampered with or "modified" makes sense as long as you have a wiring diagram.


Before you start the job, I would suggest picking up a good wiring diagram from EME for your current set up, the 75year /6 and perhaps a diagram for the year bike you wish to convert to. This way, you can compare the two at leisure before buying parts and taking things apart. I could be wrong and there may be a chance you won't be able to make the changes as easy as I make out.

Any kind of wiring can be done, it depends on what you want to accomplish and how you want the job to end up. Luckily as I said, BMW is pretty good with color coded systems and airhead wiring systems are not crazy complicated, you could have a Moto Guzzie Convert like I started to restore a long time ago. It not only had the usual circuits for headlight, turn, and ignition but a whole other system of interlocks, warning lights, buzzers and junk for things such as the kick stand. Personally, I never finished the wiring on that mess, a Moto Guzzi fan bought the partly restored bike from me and finished it. He did a wonderful job.

Good luck. St.

The 1977 and 1978 /7 switchgear is nearly identical to /6. For 1979 some changes were made, but the wires should all be the same color so it should be just a matter of plug and play in the rat's nest.

The new /7 switches likely won't have a lightswitch, so you'll need to set up your headlight for 'always on' status. Not much to it--remove the brown ground wire from the headlight relay and replace it with the random black wire in the shell that isn't hooked up to anything. That black wire will kill the headlight when you run the starter.

If you have the Haynes manual, they show "US model" and "UK model" for the different headlight wiring schemes. You'll want to use the "US model" if your new switchgear doesn't have a lightswitch.

I just went to my garage and checked my 1975, 1978, and 1979 Airheads and it sure looks like the different switch bits will fit the 1975 perches.

EDIT: You'll also need to add a green wire from the ignition switch to the relay, replacing the wire that went from the lightswitch to the light relay.

Biggest problem

The biggest problem will be dealing with NLA gear. Only time will tell if you will be able find what you want or need. St.

Thank You for the responce

I think I will go for it, meaning the switch gear change and a new wire harness. My main issue will be the wire colors because I have some significant color vision issues ( German Red, Green, Brown & gray I can't tell them apart) and all the wire diagrams I have seen show wire colors, destination, component but no connection number on the circuit board in the headlight shell.

Thanks again for the response's and advice, as I dig deeper and hopefully overcome the 20 years of hot wiring and neglect on this adopted /6 I will try to keep things up to date here. /2 wiring is so simple and mistakes only made things get warm and sometimes smoke. I guess its time to grow up or a set!

Eme

I believe the EME color matted diagrams show not only color code in color but also terminal numbers as well. They are the best wiring diagrams I have ever seen for BMW bikes and they don't cost a fortune.

In most cases, the wire colors will be the same. St.